Music therapy and silence – Silence in music therapy. A systematic review

Abstract

This systematic review identifies and analyzes research on the application and effects of silence in music therapy to derive implications for future investigations and practical applications. A database search was carried out via PsycINFO, PubMed, Psyndex, and Google Scholar using specific keywords for the period between January 1, 2002 and May 1, 2024. Only original peer-reviewed empirical studies in English and German were considered. Five out of 89 studies met the inclusion criteria for the systematic review. The results suggest that silence is a complex phenomenon that occurs in various forms in music therapy affecting relaxation, mood, rumination, and the perception of self, time, and space. Some authors define silence as a music-therapy method in its own right; others apply specific silence-related models. The presence of a music therapist and the therapeutic relationship influence the positive effects of silence in music therapy. The included studies must be discussed critically due to their heterogeneity in study design, research questions, and methodology. Future research on silence in music therapy is indicated.